Monday, March 20, 2017

Things That Make Me Happy

We have been enjoying Escape to the Country on Netflix. If you like to look at the English countryside and watch couples explore houses, this is a great series. The houses are so much more interesting than the ones on similar U.S. shows. You don't hear repeated use of the words "open concept" and no one is big on stainless steel or cookie cutter kitchens. Although these are pretty pricey houses on the whole. Don't get me wrong. We are not looking at semi-detached houses in Manchester.

Been reading RUNAWAY by Alice Munro, which I read before but after seeing the Almodovar film Julieta I wanted to see how they used three stories for the narrative. Always amazed how she can tell a novel's worth of a story in a few thousand words.

Kevin and two of his friends were here on Thursday. So interesting to see how instead of playing a game they take it apart and film the game playing itself, adding dialogue and movement. Or instead of playing football they film each other catching the ball and them make it go backwards or in slow motion. They used two ipads and two iphones hooked together to get the effects . Pretty amazing but they don't know where India is on a map. Theirs is going to be a different world if there's a world left for them.

So kind of the Oakland Press is going an interview with me. The two Detroit papers have been singularly uninterested in doing this sort of story for years and in fact, have never responded to an email from Polis Books or me. Or even done a feature on Megan. But this smaller paper responded right away when the MWA contacted them about the Edgar nomination.

The movie A SENSE OF AN ENDING. It wasn't quite  as good as the very difficult book. But what I loved about it was seeing older people treated seriously, Older people who were not ill. And I loved seeing the faces of Jim Broadbent, Harriet Walters, Charlotte Rampling and several others still carrying a movie. Rampling is as mysterious as ever. Did she ever play an unambiguous person?

The fabulous soundtracks on so many TV shows now. Have really enjoyed the music on BIG LITTLE LIES lately. (Also ATLANTA, THE LEFTOVERS, THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE)

That I have a friend like Mary who went to Ulta with me to pick out makeup. Sounds like a small thing but I have never really learned much about it, coming from the hippie tradition. She's been my closest friend for 25 years and I love her. (As does Phil).



I know the things that make me happy tend to be books, movies, plays, music rather than personal relationship-related things. But you can just assume that my family always makes me  happy.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love that focus on things that make you happy, Patti. Glad you've found several of 'em.

Jeff Meyerson said...

Nice. This is an excellent weekly feature.

I've loved our 8+ weeks in Florida. (Can't say I'm exactly looking forward to going home, but I'm not dreading it either.) We already have our reservations for next year (at the same price). Everyone knows us after 8 years and they are all so nice.

The weather has been perfect for us lately, cooler in March than the unusually warm February.

KONG: SKULL ISLAND (not your kind of movie) was fun, and it's been great seeing movies in nice, new comfortable, easy to get to theaters with big screens.

George said...

I'm happy Buffalo successfully hosted the NCAA MEAN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT. My alma mater, WISCONSIN, upset last year's Champanion, Villanova. MARCH MADNESS is terrific!

Today is the first day of SPRING and all the snow that fell on us last week is melting fast!

Diane's sister, Carol, visited us over the weekend. Our house was full of her laughter and happiness!

pattinase (abbott) said...

One thing good thing about not going away is you don't have dread your return. Yay, Michigan. Sorry, MSU.

Gerard Saylor said...

The only time I follow basketball is during the tournament. I, too, was pleased with Wisconsin's win.

Boy #1 assisted another Scout's Eagle Scout project. I am always pleased with his enthusiasm and interest in doing those projects. For a school project Boy #1 has been building a rocket engine out of plumbing parts and fueled by paraffin. We have not yet tested the device but he has spent a good amount of time and thought on the project.

I've been tutoring a 7th grader at the local middle school for a month or two. He has some reading trouble and has been easy to work with. I've been helping out at schools for about 10 years now. The student expressed surprise I was not paid.

My wife and I were both off work on Friday and used my birthday gift certificate to a local brewer, Ale Asylum, to go have lunch and drinks.

Rick Robinson said...

I'm happy that the daffodils are beautiful,
the Forsythia are in full bloom,
the Hellebore are also in full bloom,
the Winter Daphne are blooming and smell heavenly,
the NCAA Tournament is going on, I always enjoy it,
I lost a pound this week,
it was a beautiful sunny day yesterday.

pattinase (abbott) said...

How kind of you, Gerard.
We have a few crocuses blooming. The other spring bulbs were halfway up weeks ago but have frozen for now.

TracyK said...

This is a very nice regular feature, Patti. It is very good to think about the things that make us happy. For me it is mostly books and movies and good TV series (old and new) and watching them with my family.

pattinase (abbott) said...

That's about my answer too.

Sergio (Tipping My Fedora) said...

Really enjoyed this, thanks Patti. Everything I like doing always feels much more satisfying and real when I share it.